My Approach to Helping
Therapy with me is about helping you see and understand yourself deeply enough that you are more easily able to stop engaging in patterns that you know are working against your growth. It's to help you understand why you feel anxious or depressed yet think shouldn’t be feeling that way. (I assure you there are reasons for why you feel the way you do.) It’s to help you understand why you push people away when you want them to come closer; why you keep returning to those partners and jobs that crush you.
I want to help you gain a much stronger sense of self that can buffer against all the struggles of normal life. I provide an open space for that core self to develop and emerge. You will feel deeply understood by me, and you will see things you had no idea were there. Once you know they're there, we can examine them and remove them as obstacles to your growth.
Therapy with me is for those who feel open to doing the work of really knowing themselves, even if that's scary and daunting.
More Info About My Practice
If you've never participated in online therapy, (Zoom therapy), you may have many doubts as to how effective andor how comfortable it will feel. Your confidentiality is important to me, and the Zoom platform is HIPAA-compliant. I've been trained extensively in online therapy, have been the patient receiving it, and have utilized it since 2014 to treat patients, so I understand what it takes to make it feel like a very close and contained experienced, like you would feel in an office setting. Of course, it will never be exactly like an in-person setting, but I am confident you will feel reassured after our first few sessions that it will feel like a safe place where you feel deeply heard and safe.
And sometimes it's just the little things that help - make sure you have a comfortable, safe and quiet setting where you're not worried about anyone seeing or hearing you or interrupting. A lot of times it's very helpful to have good headphones so that you can block out other noise and really feel like you're in private zone with me.
In my own practice I've learned that the prospect of attending in-person is actually intimidating to many - some people feel safer with a little distance physically from their therapaist. It helps them feel safer in opening up. Some people may have geographic or travel obstacles in terms of getting to an actual office space, and telehealth is an excellent option for getting access to help they may not otherwise.
Some of you may worry about crisis situations and my availability. The thing is, it's the same as it would be if we were meeting in person - I'd want to speak to you, talk the feelings through, and see what needs you have or what resources you need. In fact, it's easier for me to be available for you if we're not reliant on an office setting in order to see each other.
The one thing I do miss out on is seeing your total body language. However, I'm very good at tracking minute changes in your facial expressions and speech changes on a moment-to-moment basis, so I and my patients don't tend to feel like I'm missing something.
What I Love about Being a Psychotherapist
My absolute favorite thing about being a therapist is being there for all the moments when you realize you've been blaming yourself for how you feel with someone, as though you're not kind or chill or evolved enough in your dealings with them, but actually, you've been deeply mistreated, so no wonder you don't feel good with that person. I wish this happened less for people, but it's so very common, and I love being a part of the awakening.
What I Usually Need to Know to Help
I can help you best when you allow your mind to wander, and, as much as you can muster, tell me where your mind goes. I want to know what you're thinking. That may sound basic, but once you're in the patient chair, it can feel very scary to trust you can tell me whatever goes through your mind. It helps me because I get to know how your mind works and how you see the world. When I can understand you in that way, I am able to offer more specific and appropriate help.
My Guiding Ethical Principles
Without a feeling of safety, we have nothing. It's impossible to get into the material we need to get into if either one of us doesn't feel safe and contained. As such, I have clear boundaries around our time together. We will start and end on time (so that there are no questions ever about when we'll start, how long we'll go, and you know exactly when it will end, so you can regulate yourself accordingly.) You will always be clear about the fee and when it's to be paid. You will know when I'll be out of the office in advance. The more reliable I am, the safer you will feel.
Additionally, while I want us to develop a deep working relationship, it will feel professional and safe. You will know the focus is on you and your wellbeing. You may be curious about me as a person, which is normal, but my perspective is that the less we're talking about me, the more we're focused on you, and isn't that why you're there? You're not paying me to hear about me and my life. In fact, many people can feel burdened by knowing anything about their therapist because then they feel like they have to take care of them and be sensitive to them. You need to be able to make use of me in various ways, and that's diminished the more you know about me. It clutters up the space.
However, you will get to know me in other ways - how I think and how I care about you and your health.
The Duration and Frequency of Therapy
In my practice I work with patients on an *at least* weekly basis. Anything less than 1x weekly becomes merely check-in, making it difficult to get to any of the work that would create change in the situation.
Clinicians who offer sliding scale payment structures may offer lower or reduced fees based on an individual's ability to pay. Please contact this clinician for more details regarding their fees or sliding scale policy.